Mason jars, sometimes also called “canning jars,” are truly one of the most versatile packaging options out there. Not only can they be used to make sweet desserts, like cakes or puddings, but also savory dishes – they work especially well for all sorts of salads and sauces.
But before you can start making your meals (or anything else) in them, there’s one thing you need to consider – the size. Believe it or not, mason jars actually come in a wide range of sizes, and which one will be the best one for you largely depends on what you’re planning on storing in them.
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Mason jar sizes popular sizes
So, what are some of the most common mason jar sizes, and what are they best used for? Let’s talk about it.
2 Oz. Mason Jars
The smallest volume of a mason jar you can currently find is 2 oz mason jars. If you’re organizing a party, like a wedding or a graduation party, those will work great for party favors – and since you can personalize them by adding your initials and the date on them, your guests will always be reminded of how much fun the event was every time they look at it.
We especially love the idea of putting a cookie or cake mix inside of them with a personal note attached to it, but truthfully, there are plenty of things you can add to them. You can even use them instead of shot glasses, especially if you find those with a handle or to serve samples – sounds fun, doesn’t it?
4 Oz. Mason Jars
The second typically available mason jar size is the 4 oz, also known as the quarter-pint jar. They are great for all sorts of jams and jelly, which is why they’re also sometimes called “jelly jars.” They’re especially good for small households where bigger jars tend not to be finished before they go bad. They also are a good size for serving desserts.
Some other common uses include storing spices, and when it comes to non-food uses, many crafters like to use them to store small items, like beads or pins.
8 Oz. Mason Jars
The half-pint mason jars are another good option for those who like to can jams, as well as fruit spreads, relishes, and syrups. While all the other jars we mentioned so far come with regular mouths due to their sizes, half-pint jars offer you more flexibility in this matter, as there are both wide-mouth and regular-mouth options available.
As for the non-food uses, some of the most favorable ones include using them as pencil holders or vases for smaller flowers. They can also be good containers to make candles in – but you have to make sure that they’re made out of the type of plastic that won’t produce toxic fumes when in contact with flames.
16 Oz. Mason Jars
Pint-sized mason jars are one of the most popular mason jar sizes. Just like half-pint jars, they are also available as regular-mouth and wide-mouth jars. They’re typically used for canning all types of food, including homemade salsas, pasta sauces, salad dressings, or fruits and vegetables.
The 16 oz jars are also a really good option to serve food in, as they’re neither too small nor too big – just right for single servings. If you want to surprise your guests at a party, there’s no better way to do so than by using an “untraditional” container to serve or display the meals, both sweet and savory.
However, plenty of people use them for several non-food-related purposes. For example, they can be transformed into great centerpieces for your party. You might also use them as vases for flowers, while crafty people like to use them for storage.
32 Oz. Mason Jars
Quart-sized mason jars are another common size option, typically used in larger families, as they allow for bigger batches to be made. Just like the previous ones, they work great for canning all kinds of jams, jellies, fruits, sauces, vegetables, and more. While they might be too big for food, they’ll work great for making all kinds of beverages, including lemonade or flavored water.
Again, they have plenty of non-food-related uses as well, and one we really love to see is using them as vases. Since they’re quite big, they can typically hold a bouquet rather than just a few flowers.
64 Oz. Mason Jars
Also known as half-gallon mason jars, the 64 oz jars are a great option for canning apple juice or grape juice – unfortunately, they are not recommended for canning other things. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t useful in other ways! Plenty of people use them for storage – especially for beans, pasta, oats, cereal, and more. While it is more common to see wide-mouth half-gallon mason jars, you might be able to find some vintage ones with regular mouths.
128 Oz. Mason Jars
The biggest size of a mason jar you can find at the moment is the gallon one, with a capacity of 128 ounces. However, they’re not used for canning food – they are often part of the display in stores, especially in dry goods stores where the products aren’t packaged, but instead, you take as much as you need into your own container.
Other Sizes of Mason Jars
The sizes we mentioned above can be considered the “standard” ones, as they are the ones you’re most likely to encounter on your mason jar hunting journey. However, they aren’t the only ones – many manufacturers actually make their own sizes to suit their clients’ needs the best. For example, at CMJJ, we carry a wide range of mason jar sizes that we find work better for our customers than the “standard” ones.
How Tall Is a Mason Jar?
While the capacity of the mason jar is an important measurement, there’s another one that needs to be mentioned when talking about mason jar sizes, and that is the height. The truth is that there isn’t a standard height for all mason jars – depending on the capacity and manufacturer, the height can vary from 2 inches to even 9.5 inches, sometimes more.
How Wide Is a Mason Jar?
Unlike the mason jar height, which can vary significantly, the width size is pretty standardized across most mason jars. Of course, manufacturers can decide to make their jars a custom width, but in general, the outer diameter of regular-mouth mason jars is 2.75 inches, while for wide-mouth mason jars, that measurement increases to 3.38 inches.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, mason jars come in a variety of sizes – which one will be the best for you depends mostly on what you are planning to do with it. And just a side note – when using plastic mason jars for canning food, make sure that they can be used for high temperatures. That would be all for now but don’t hesitate to take a look at our blog section, where we share many ideas for foods for specific occasions, like brunch and graduation parties, among others.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ounces in a mason jar?
As shown above, there isn’t one answer to how many ounces are in a mason jar, as it all depends on the size of a mason jar. Typically, mason jar volume varies from 2 to 128 ounces.
What size is a standard mason jar?
Since the size of mason jars can vary significantly, even within one manufacturer, there isn’t one standard mason jar size.
How many ounces in a large mason jar?
When it comes to large mason jar sizes, we would typically include the 64 oz and the 128 oz in this category.
How wide is a wide-mouth mason jar?
As mentioned, there are two options when it comes to mason jar opening size – the regular and the wide mouth, and in both cases, the mason jar diameter is different.
What is the average mason jar size?
When it comes to a typical mason jar size, again, there isn’t one answer. However, the most commonly chosen mason jar sizes include 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, and 32 oz, so a mason jar with those capacities can be considered an average size mason jar.
Resources
- https://www.attainable-sustainable.net/canning-jar-sizes/
- https://bellewoodcottage.com/mason-jar-sizes/
- https://foodinjars.com/blog/canning-101-a-field-guide-to-jars/
